Bike gang molestation spurs teen suicide bid

Teased, molested and threatened by a gang of three, a 15-year-old girl in Jamshedpur tried to commit suicide by drowning herself in the deep waters of Subernarekha on Tuesday morning.

Though she managed to jump off Mango Bridge, the trauma rendered her unconscious and she landed on the banks instead of falling into the river. A group of passers-by rushed her to MGM Medical College and Hospital. She regained her senses half an hour later and told police what had spurred her death wish.

A resident of Bhalubasa in Sitaramdera police station area, the Class X student was on her way to a private coaching centre at Aambagan in Sakchi with a friend around 9.30am. Three youths on a motorcycle ' identified as her neighbours Mohammed Imtiaz, Mohammed Waheed and Mohammed Sanno ' accosted her. They abused her parents, tried to drag her onto their two-wheeler and threatened to kill her father if she didn't listen to them.

The teenager somehow managed to break free and dashed for the bridge. "On hearing they would kill my father if I protested against their moves (to outrage my modesty), I didn't have a choice but to contemplate suicide to escape the situation," the victim said in her statement to police.

The girl's father said the trio had been harassing his daughter for three years. "For Imtiaz and his friends, she had to leave two schools ' first, ADLS Sunshine School in Sakchi, while she was a Class VI student and then Kerala Public School at Burmamines. She was coaching privately for her matriculation," he said.

Though both Sitaramdera and Sakchi police recorded the teen's statement, the matter was referred to the latter because the incident took place in an area under their jurisdiction.

Inspector Bijay Kumar of Sakchi police station confirmed that a case of molestation was being registered based on the statement made by the victim. "We are conducting raids. All three accused will be booked soon," he promised.

The incident in the steel hub is a grim reminder of the Sonali Mukherjee case.

The Bokaro girl had become a victim of an acid attack in 2003 for spurning the offensive overtures of a man and his two friends.